Avatar the Fifth Book: The Rising Light
by Shogunda
Summary: A story set thirty years after the original series centering on team of young people brought together by the White Lotus Council to keep the peace. I suck at summaries, better then it sounds.


This is my new story for Avatar. It is set thirty years after the original series. I am looking for ideas for other characters so if you have suggestions please let me know. This is merely the prologue introducing some of the main characters though it will be mostly be from the point of view of the original gAang.

Avatar: The Fifth Book

Prologue

Thirty Years Later

_Southern Water Tribe Capital City- Outer Wall_

**POV**_**-**_**Avatar Aang**

Avatar Aang stood on the wall outside the Water Tribe's capital city. It seemed so long ago since I had first been here after Katara had awoken me from my one hundred year slumber. It had changed so much since then. The Southern Water Tribe was now a thriving civilization, rather then one struggling to survive. Now there was a capital and plenty of other cities built along the artic thanks to help from the Northern Tribe. The people of the tribe called me a hero along with the rest of the world which had been rebuilt as throughly as the Southern Tribe after the war. He was proud he could accompish so much for the world.

"Sensei!" I turned to look at the boy running towards him with a small smile, _'Not boy anymore, Aang. He's grown into a man now.'_ The young man stopped in front of me doubling over breathing a little heavily obviously running a long way, "Sorry it took so long, Sensei. I was out hunting with Cheif Sokka when I got our messenger hawk. Why did you have to meet me right away? And why all the way out here?"

I chuckled putting a hand on his shoulder as he straightened up, "Relax, Sota. I didn't tell you you had to come right away, just letting you know that I need to see you. But I'm glad you're on top of things like usual." The seventeen year old dressed in standard Water Tribe furs chuckled embarassed at the words rubbing the back of his neck. He was about 5'9" with the dark skin of the Water Tribe people, his hair was pulled back into a warrior's wolf tail but with loose hair to the sides of his face in front of his ears pulled through a decorative blue and silver bead. He also had the small odd purple eyes of the boy he had met five years ago, though they were now strong and detrimened instead of the fearful ones he had first seen, "And there is no need to be so formal with me, I thought we were closer then that."

Sota smiled nodding his head, "Sorry, Aang." He turned to look at the city that had been his home for five years, "So why did you want to meet up here?"

I sighed slightly shaking my head, "No reason in particular to meet up here, just enjoying the view. But there is a reason I wanted to talk with you." I reached into my pocket pulling out the scroll I had recived last week. I ran my finger over the broken seal of the lotus before I opened it up lookig over the words I had looked over so many times thinking about what I would do. Sota looked at it curiously but I spoke before he could ask, "It is from the White Lotus Council at Republic City. They are forming an elite team of individuals from all over the world and have asked me personally to send someone I see fit to be part of this team. The first person I thought of was you Sota."

Sota looked at me with a dumbfounded look for a moment before a smile crossed his lips, "Me? Of everyone you know you picked me? Of course I accept, Aang! ...Wait what is this team exactly?"

I chuckled shaking my head slightly at him, accepting a job before he even knew what it was. It was just like him, "From what I understand it is team that will investigate things that one nation alone can not. Pretty much to make sure things will stay peaceful." I sighed patting his shoulder, "I wasn't sure if I was going to tell you about it at first."

Sota stopped his celebrations giving me a curious look, "Why is that?"

I looked up at him with a fatherly look, "It could be dangerous, it's a parent's first instinct to protect their child and I think of you as my son, Sota." I pulled him into a hug and I felt him hug me back, "I look at you and I still see that small, scared boy I took in. But you're a man now and you can make your own decisions."

We let go of each other and Sota smiled at me, "I want to do you proud, Aang. I want to use what you taught me to help the protect the world."

I smiled at him proudly patting his shoulder, "You've already done me proud, Sota." I turned back to the city with a chuckle, "Well if you really want to go then we leave in two days."

We started to walk heading back to the house and Sota nodded with a smile, "Yes I do. I'll really miss Katara and Tenzin but I'm sure the little guy can keep her busy so they won't miss me too much."

I laughed at him shaking my head at him, "We'll all miss you, even if we have a two year old pull at us all day."

_Fire Nation Capital- Fire Palace_

**POV**_**-**_**Fire Lord Zuko**

I look down through the flames to the man below me sitting on his knees, he has an excited look in his eyes but kept his face straight, "I have thought long and hard about who I would send as my represenitive to Republic City, Li, and I have decided on you. You are clearly the best canidate for this team."

Li got a small smirk on his face hearing this and bowed his head to me, "I am pleased to hear that Fire Lord." His excited tone betrayed his calm words though. He looked back up to me his bright amber eyes glowing with the light of the fire. He had his hair cut short and it was a golden-yellow color (a new trend among teens from poorer parts of the Fire Nation, dyeing it with the juice of a flower commonly found in the south). He was a young man of nineteen measuring almost 6'0", his uniform was tighter then most showing his strong body and was without sleeves, "I hate to push the subject, sir, but is it really the best thing to let me leave? The Fire Lady could be-"

I held up my hand to silence him, "It is true that you will truely be a loss to Mai's protection but we have plenty of capable bodyguards, besides few would be stupid enough to try attacking her with her skills." I let out a small chuckle and Li let a small smile betray his stoicism, "Now get packed you leave in three days to Republic City."

Li stood picking his bow and quiver off of the ground next to him bowing low, "Yes your Highness. I will make sure I do all in my power to succed in my misson." He turned leaving the throne room and I let a smile cross my lips knowing he was the right choice.

_Omashu- Palace Rooftop Training Grounds_

**POV**_**-**_**Queen Toph**

"You got to be faster then that to not get hit cupcake!" I laugh at the young girl shooting more rocks toward her. She punchs the air towards where the rocks were coming from breaking them apart. I bring up pillars of earth from the ground in a half-circle around the girl shooting more rocks toward her randomly from the spires letting the blindfolded girl punch at them as they get close to her. She spun around quickly breaking them all until the spires were gone and I started to clap, "Not bad, Niida, not bad at all."

The girl undid her blindfold looking over at me smiling with a nervous blush. She is sixteen and a shorter girl, around 5'2" with long brown hair down to her mid-back and bright green eyes, "No I could've hit them farther away, Sensei." I raise an eyebrow at her and point to the ground around her where there is a pile of rubble laying five feet away in a perfect half circle and the girl got an embarassed but modest look on her face, "Alright I didn't do too bad."

I walk over to her clapping her on the back making her yelp a little at my strength, "That's it, it's decided you will my choice to send to Republic City."

Her head whips toward me stuttering, "M-m-me? B-but there are so many others that are stronger then me! There's got to be a better cho-" I instantly silence the girl with a glare and then smirk.

"You're the most skillful, I taught you myself. By saying there are better then you you're insulting me."

Niida's eyes widened and instantly bowed down, "I'm so-sorry!" I grab her head forcing her to straighten up.

"There's no apologuzing. Just relax and tell me you're going. Got it?"

Niida nodded getting a small smile, "Of course Sensei. I will go and do my best to represent you." I laugh clapping her on the and walking with her back toward the castle door.

_Southern Water Tribe- Capital City Port (Two Days Later)_

**POV**_**-**_**Chief Sokka**

I sighed shaking my head knowing she was going to be late like usual, really should've told her to be here an hour before, then she would've only been ten minutes late. I look over at the others in the port, Aang and Katara are trying to drag a crying Tenzin off of Sota who was trying to calm the child as he got on the boat, "I'll be back to visit as soon as possible Tenzin." He patted the boy's head and picked him up giving him a hug which seemed to calm him before handing him to Aang. Katara then drew the boy into a hug saying her good-byes to Sota, who seemed to be blushing at the hug. His sister and his old friend had grown old gracefully, Katara looked the same with just a few lines on her face and a wisdom that wasn't there before. Aang looked much older then he had having filled out more. I had a few more scars and had grown a gottee out.

"She'll be here soon, Sokka. Try not to be too mad." Suki patted my arm and I turned to her and sighed a little nodding and then turn my head as I hear yelling.

"Wait! Don't leave yet!" I let out a sigh of relief and shake my head as Kya comes running up stopping in front of me and Suki. I give her a serious look and she looked up at me putting her hands together, "Sorry dad, I overslept and then forgot it was Saturday. But I'm here now right, so let's go!"

"You've been oversleeping everyday for the last twenty years, think you would get up on time once Kya." I put my hands on her shoulders and kiss her on the forehead. She is about 5'10" and looks a lot like a taller, more muscular version of Katara when she was younger with her shorter hair pulled back in a less decrotive, more functional way. She smiles pulling me into a hug.

"Don't worry about me dad, I'll be fine. I was taught by you and mom to fight so there's no one I can't beat."

Suki laughed putting her arms around the two of them, "You got your father's cockiness, Kya." She looked over her shoulder waving a boy over, "Come on Hakoda, give you big sister a hug good-bye."

Hakoda huffed walking over to them hugging Kya around the waist. The boy looked around eight with his mother's paler skin and his dad's blue eyes.

When they pull away I turn to the boat then back to Kya, "Since you're late you have to leave right away. Just remember to be safe."

Kya smiled kissing my cheek then walked over to Sora throwing an arm around his shoulder's, "Don't worry dad, I got Sota to protect me, right Sota?" The boy blushed and seemed at a loss for words and I chuckle softly as they walk onto the boat waving good-bye, "I'll make sure we send a messenger hawk your way as soon as we get to Republic City."

I look on with a small frown as I watch my oldest child sail away hopeing she would be alright.

_Republic City- Headquarter's of the White Lotus Council (Four Days Later)_

**POV**_**-**_**Tula**

"I trust your trip was a pleasant one, Captain Tula." A white-haired Piandao spoke to the young woman in front of him. A twenty-one year old of average height about 5'9" with long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail and mossy green eyes.

Tula nodded bowing deeply in front of him, "Yes it was Chairman Piandao." She straightened up with a small chuckle, "But I am no longer a Captain, I relenquished my title when the Earth King offered me the postion here." The older man pushing ninty now nodded in understanding to her, "So Chairman when will I be able to meet the rest of this team?"

Piandao shook his head, "Not yet I'm afraid, you are the first one to arrive. There is one other here though, a student of both the late Masters Iroh and Jeong Jeong. You'll have to look for him though, he's always disappering on us."

Tula nodded with an excited smile on her face just glad to have this chance to prove herself, "I think I will just go to my room for now." She would explore the rest of the building later on.

Piandao nodded gesturing off to a hallway, "Follow this hallway into the adjacent building, that is where the team's quarters will be while here in Republic City. There are rooms on the upper level for you, pick out any of them for now."

Tula nodded and bowed to the man in front of her, "Thank you, Chairman." The man give her a curt nod and turned, no doubt to go about his more important duties then giving her a tour. Tula walked down the hall looking out of the windows at the city below her. Twenty years ago Republic City was just an Earth Kingdom town, but it's proximity to the other nations made it the perfect place to set up what Avatar Aang called a new 'center of the world'. The Avatar struck a deal with the Earth King allowing the town and a large area around it to become neutral territory for citizens of all nations to settle down. This is where the White Lotus Council was born, a council made from the old Order of the White Lotus and member of all the nations made to ensure peace. After it was established Republic City boomed, growing to the point of rivaling even Ba Sing Se, though surpassing it in technology. With people of all nations now mingling and sharing ideas technology grew rapidly within the city, though it had not spread very far.

Tula's thoughts were cut short as she reached the end of the hallway coming intot he team's quarters. The first thing she did was turn onto the stairs to her left wanting to get her room established first. She walked up the stairs ending up in an open hallway, one side of the hallway had doors about every ten feet with another door at the very end and the other side was largely glassless windows overlooking a gorgous view of the city. She looked out it slightly awed by the sight, "It's amazing a view like this will be just outside my door." She sighed turning from the sight going to the end of the hall taking the last door of the left, the door at the very end being marked as a bathroom. She walked right in shutting the door behind her and setting her bag down on the bed looking around it. The room was pretty plain so she guessed she would have to change that, there was only a dresser, a bed, a chair, a desk and a door which she assumed was a small closet.

She looked down at her traveling clothes, which was simply a shirt and pants, and sighed knowing she would have to change before she met the others and met with the Council. She stripped off her shirt thowing it on the bed and bent down to look in her bag just as the door opened. She shot up pushing the bag to cover her chest, "What the hell do you think you're doi-" She stopped as she was met with a man about her age smoldering, smokey eyes and wet black hair clinging to his face which wore a look of surprise. Her eyes ventured downwards over his lean and toned muscular body marked with a few small scars which was completely bare except for a towel tied around his waist.

Tula's flushed as she looked at him until she heard the man clearing his throat, "Maybe I should ask you what you're doing in my room."

She blushed her eyes flicking back up to his face, "Y-you're room? I-I didn't think anyone lived in this room." Tula saw his eyes looking her over before he turned around and she couldn't help but admire his lean, muscular unscarred back efore she was brought back to reality by his voice again.

"Why don't you put your shirt on and clear out to let me get dressed then we can talk about all this."

Tula shook her head back to reality before turning around grabbing her shirt pulling it back on over her head making sure she was covered before speaking again, "I'm good now."

He turned around oving out of the way of the door so she could go through, "I'm guessing you're a member of the team the Council is putting together."

She nodded going to the door walking through it trying to avoid staring at him too much, "Y-yes I am, I'm Tula." She turned to look back at him as she made it out into the hall.

He gave her a warm smile as he shut the door, "Well you can call me Kuzan."

Yeah I know it's a bit of a mess but I wanted to get everything down before I forgot it so please don't flame me for it. I will go into more detail in the next chapter and stick with a more third person narrative. I should also make a note here that Li and Kya are NOT benders, they specialize in other forms of fighting and Kya will be the only person on the team directly related to someone from the original series.

I'm also looking for more characters this team to be introduced in the next chapter so if you guys have any ideas for characters you think will fit into this story please let me know.


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